West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday launched a pilot initiative named ‘Swachh Kavach’ to provide protective kits to 50,000 sanitation workers across the state.
The ‘Swachh Kavach’ includes high-visibilty jackets, gloves and long rubber boots, aimed at improving the safety and working conditions of sanitation workers. Adhikari also promised to plant as well as take care of 7 crore trees saplings across the state.
Chief Minister Adhikari launched the initiative at the Uttirna Auditorium in Alipore where he lauded sanitation workers for their everyday efforts and described them as the backbone of the state’s cleanliness drive.
Officials from several urbal local bodies including the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) along with other urban development agencies across the state were present at the event.
স্বাস্থ্য ও নিরাপত্তার কথা মাথায় রেখে ‘নির্মল বন্ধুদের’ হাতে মাস্ক, গ্লাভস, জুতো, টুপি ও রেইনকোট প্রদান#surakshakavach #SuvenduAdhikari #agnimitrapaul pic.twitter.com/9nbJoSxMgI
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Describing cleanliness as a social responsibility, the Chief Minister pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has earned global recognition.
Expressing concern over the deteriorating urban environment, Adhikari stressed that Kolkata has witnessed continuous felling of trees over the past 15 years, while concrete buildings had mushroomed across the city, upsetting the ecological balance.
“Over the past 15 years, Kolkata has witnessed continuous felling of trees, while concrete structures have mushroomed across the city. As a result, the environment has deteriorated significantly. We must overcome this challenge, and it is for this reason that this initiative has been undertaken,” he said.
Adhikari said equal priority must be accorded to cleanliness, the supply of safe drinking water and expanding green cover through afforestation.
Highlighting the state’s ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam‘ (A Tree in Mother’s Name) campaign, launched on World Environment Day on June 5, the Chief Minister announced an ambitious afforestation programme under which the West Bengal Government aims to plant 70 million trees across the state this year.
He said the government would take full responsibility for maintaining the trees over the next two years to maximise their survival and long-term environmental benefits.
Speaking at the program, state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Agnimitra Paul outlined the long-term vision of the initiative.
“Santitation workers lead the fight for cleanliness from the front. Till now they had not proper protective gear. We decided to do something for them to ensure their safety as in many cases they of have to handle hazardous waste or clear areas using heavy machinery and equipment,” Paul told The Statesman on Wednesday.